Wayward Advances
by Raven's Secret
Summary: Random or not so random oneshots. Based on anything from episodes, to real life experiences, to spur of the moment ideas. Pairings will be Kataang, Soki, Zai. Rated T for safety
1. Time Well Spent

**Author's Note: Well, here we go…my very first Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfic. This fanfiction will be a collection of oneshots. They will range from memories, to games, to actual events in the show. There's no telling what I am going to write here.**

**I think this chapter deserves is own explanation, however. When I first watched Book 3: Fire, Chapter 2: The Headband, and I watched Aang and Katara dance it up, I couldn't help but wonder where they had learned the exact same dance. If Aang knew it, that probably meant it was at least a hundred years old. How Katara knew it was beyond me. After all, it was a fire nation dance, by the looks of the movements. So I created this oneshot to explain just where they learned said dance.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, I never will

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**Time Well Spent**

_Continuity: After "The Awakening", before "The Headband"_

"I'm bored." Aang sighed indignantly.

"Well, find something to do." Toph groaned.

Aang paced the length of the bow of the ship, his hands twisting behind his back. Toph lay on the ground picking her toes quietly, her head in her hand. Sokka was down below, looking over maps with the other Water Tribe members, or some nonsense like that. Katara was looking over the side of the ship, her mind somewhere else.

"Hey, Katara. Wanna dance?" Aang asked. His eyes widened in sudden excitement.

"What?" Katara turned to face her friend, puzzled. "Dance? But…there's no music."

"So? Where's Sokka? He can play the sungi horn, right?"

"I guess…why do you want to dance all of a sudden?" The brunette placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side.

"I don't know, I just do." He shrugged.

"I haven't danced in years, Aang. And I doubt we know any of the same dances."

"Well then, I'll teach you one."

"You'll _teach _me?"

"Yep."

Katara sighed. "Fine. What is this dance?"

Toph spun around to face her friends. "Wait…Katara…you're actually going to dance?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Can't you wait until we hit land?" Toph pleaded.

"Why?" Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Because I want to see this!"

"I say it's a good thing you can't. I'm sure it won't be anything exciting." Katara said.

"Fine, be that way." Toph huffed in her mock-hurt voice. Crossing her arms, she stormed down the stairs to find Sokka.

Aang watched her go, then turned to face Katara, offering his hand. He smiled, and the water bender took it. With a quick pull, they were in the center of the bow, facing each other.

"Now, bow."

"What?"

"Bow."

Shrugging, Katara did as she was told. The two exchanged ceremonious bows, and as they raised she looked him in the eye.

"Now what?"

"Now, we cross wrists. As if we were going to fire bend." Aang held up his hand in the proper position, and Katara mimicked.

"Good, now, spin slowly in a half circle, then we turn around and do it in the other direction." Aang demonstrated once, with Katara watching intently. After she knew what to do, she joined in.

"Okay, now we spin in that direction twice, go back a quarter turn, then grab hands, like so." Again, he demonstrated, and again, she watched. "After that, we pull into each other, leaning as far as we can. But we don't want to fall." He smiled and laughed, and she laughed with him. "Now, do it with me." Katara nodded, and daintily held his hand.

"No, hold it firmly. We don't want you slipping through my fingers." His smile never faded.

The two completed the steps, stumbling at a few parts. Aang instructed Katara to do it a few more times, just until they got the first part right. She listened without complaint. This was rather fun.

"Here's where I kick you." He smirked.

"You do what now?" Katara stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I try and kick you, and you duck and dodge it."

"Aang, this is silly."

"It's part of the dance!" He threw his hands in the air for drama.

"Fine, if you say so." Smiling just a bit, she did as he told.

For the next couple hours, they worked on the movements. They flipped and tumbled, twirled and spun. It was amazing what one could create with a simple Agnikai routine and a few other fighting techniques. Once the training was over, the two were left gasping for breath.

"Well…that was…fun." Aang held his lungs softly, his smile much bigger than before.

"It was. Thanks for teaching me." Katara returned the smile.

"Now I want to teach you the Phoenix Flight and Elephant Strut." He again offered his hand.

"Oh no you don't. I've had enough dancing for one day, thank you very much."

"Aww, come on. You know you want to." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, I don't." But no matter how much she protested, Katara couldn't wipe the grin off of her face.

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**Author's Note: Wow…crappy…of course, that's what you get when you try to write at 11:44 on January 1****st**


	2. Step by Step

**Author's Note: Some chapters will be connected to others before or after them. If they are, I will make a note under Continuity.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it

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**Step by Step**

_Continuity: Book 3-Fire; Chapter 2-The Headband_

_Connected to Chapter 1_

Katara watched, bemused, as Aang danced with the others. Toph was right. He was a fantastic dancer. She was proud of him for what he was doing. So why did she feel so…left out? She knew she could be dancing up there with him, but she dare not. It had been awhile since she had danced last, at least two years. What if she made a fool of herself? She looked away, unable to watch anymore. After all, Katara didn't want to get caught staring. But it was too late. Aang had offered his hand to her, silently asking her to dance.

_Accept it. _She thought desperately to herself. _Do what you know you've wanted to do so long._

"I don't know, Aang." _Nice going. _Katara combed her hair awkwardly as she silently scolded herself. "These shoes aren't really good for dancing. A-and I'm not sure I know how to-"

"Take my hand." He interrupted.

She returned his smile. "Okay."

Obeying his orders, she grabbed hold of his hand, and he whisked her onto the floor. She bent over, smiling a bit at how short he was. He whispered to her the dance they were going to perform. He had taught it to her awhile back. She only hoped she remembered the steps.

They exchanged bows and crossed wrists in the Fire Bending position. Slowly they circled each other, their minds racing. Silence began to overcome their dance as the children around them stopped to watch. Katara blushed, feeling their eyes boring holes into the back of her neck.

"Aang, everyone's watching us." She whispered.

"Don't worry about them. It's just you and me right now." He whispered back, a romantic look on his face.

Her blushing schoolgirl look quickly vanished, replaced by a flirtatious, bring-it-on sort of smirk. As they bent forward, Katara had the slightest hesitation. What on earth was she doing? She shouldn't be dancing. As she had said, these shoes weren't right for dancing. But it was more than that. She was dancing with Aang. With the Avatar. With the young boy who she might just love. She was dancing with him, and he with her. For one moment, they would be one. They would be in perfect step, in perfect synch. So why was she scared? Why were her knees trembling? Why was her heart racing?

With a quick glance towards On Ji, she knew why. She knew exactly why she was afraid. Had he chosen to dance with her just out of sympathy? Was he getting a crush on that girl from school? Did he care for her only as a friend? Or did he love her as she loved him? Did he choose to dance with her because he wanted to? Did he ask her to dance because he felt it was right?

As they pulled back, the next dance moves made, she knew it felt right. They moved perfectly, swiftly, engaged in each other. He was right. It was just her and him. As they danced, everything else vanished. The teens surrounding them, Toph's smirk, Sokka's approving combing of his beard, the music. All of it faded away, leaving just the two of them dancing together, just as every couple dreams they could.

The dance commenced, and even her thoughts disappeared. She was focused on him, this handsome, amazing young man whom she had come to know and love…yes…love. For one brief moment, their noses nearly touched. They smiled at each other, and she felt he loved her too.


End file.
